Anything That Can Go Wrong
by BlackBee
Summary: Will go wrong. Naruto found that out when his life fell to pieces at 17 thanks to one bad decision. His life spirals further and further down the drain and the only way to right it all again is with the help of outside intervention. Too bad this won't be easy. KyuuNaru. Warning: yaoi. Modern!AU
1. Prologue

NEW STORY!

I know I said I don't want too much on my plate but I'm so excited with the latest chapter that I can't help myself X3!

NOTE: This will still be focused on AFTER I get finished with TINL.

**WARNING: ****Contains drug use and prostitution.**

Enjoy this sneak peek!

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><p>They say that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.<p>

When Naruto was 17 he thought that was a crock of bullshit. He preferred a much more optimistic point of view. And why not? He had so many things right with his life then. He had a bunch of wonderful and close friends. His apartment, which he used to think was too small and too close to the wrong part of the city was now incredibly comfortable and felt like home. After two years he was finally able to move on from his godfather's death. He was going to graduate with his class in a few short months.

He had a wonderful boyfriend.

A man he loved more than he loves himself. A man who made him feel like he was worth everything and so, very happy. The man he honestly wanted to marry and grow old with.

And yet, it wasn't that man who was touching him right now.

Running his tongue along his neck, groping his naked sides with his dirty hands, roughly pounding inside of him. All the while Naruto laid on this stranger's bed staring blankly at the bag of cocaine on the night stand; his prize for the night.

At 23-years-old Naruto was a washed-out drug addict who prostituted himself.

Before graduation, everything was finally right with his life.

How was he supposed to know that for the next six years of his life, everything would go horribly wrong?

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><p>Not done yet! First chapter also coming :)!<p>

Oh and does anyone wanna play a game?

Who do you think Naruto's lover was? Anyone wanna guess? You can PM or review the answer!


	2. Chapter 1

Last bit of the sneak peek!

Enjoy!

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><p>He was so naive back then.<p>

Now he knows better. It isn't always easy to do the right thing. It isn't always easy to say 'NO' to some of life's pleasures.

He wanted to blame them a little. Especially him.

They were the ones that told him to be selfish. To start doing what he really wanted for once instead of always putting them first. He certainly thought they were very stupid to believe that when they told him that, it wouldn't backfire this bad. Even though it _was_ justified advice. He would always prioritize everyone else's sake over his own, sometimes to the point that he would hurt himself. He did this for so long; over a large period of his life. It was understandable that they'd notice and put in their two cents on the matter.

And maybe he did feel it within him. A feeling, almost dark feeling, that _wanted_ to stop caring about what everyone else wanted and do what he wanted instead. There was a little voice inside his head, a dark Naruto that whispered a bunch of sinful actions Naruto should do; just because it would feel good.

But Naruto knew that was wrong. That being selfish would cost him everything he had worked for in his life. It was easy to stick to that belief. And it became even easier once he came into his life and Naruto was willing to do all he could to stay with him. But it became so much harder around graduation.

It all became too much. It gave him a headache every time he tried to ignore his selfish urges and thoughts. His memories returned with all the stress he was going through around that time. Taunting him and reminding him of the pain he went through before he met all of his friends.

He practically was attached to his boyfriend at the hip. Being around him was the only way to make everything inside his head shut up, or at least easier to ignore. Naruto had tried to blame it all on immaturity. He told himself once he became an adult, everything would change and he wouldn't have bad thoughts anymore.

How incredibly naive.

Graduation. It was right then during graduation when Dark Naruto, or the selfish urges, finally got to him.

_Take the drugs._

And then he couldn't give them up.

So it was all his fault. It was his fault his friends wanted nothing to do with him. It was his fault he lost his cozy little apartment. And it was his fault he lost the love of his life.

But as Naruto sat in a dirty alley way watching a rat chew on the carcass of another one, he grinned. Cocaine did funny things to his mind when he used it. He thought about his past and things he didn't want to think about. But after a couple of minutes, the _feeling_ kicked in. The incredible pleasure that he was addicted too and that made him feel right again. So he thought about his old friends and lover and home, and with big, glassy, blue eyes and a blank grin on his face, he also thought;

He didn't care anymore.

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><p>"So where would you like these boxes sir?"<p>

A tall man looked up from his phone, a bored expression on his face. _'It says 'Utensils' on the box, where do you think I want it?'_

"Just set them in the kitchen," he replied before turning back to what he was doing. The moving man nodded and walked into the kitchen. The tall man glanced up and calculated that the guy had to take at least twenty steps. He looked at the stairs and counted the 17 steps it took to get to the second floor. It probably took 17 steps to get to the third floor, the fourth floor, the fifth floor, and the attic. And it probably took another 17 steps to get to the basement.

He looked up at the chandelier and inwardly noted that it was 45 feet above him, just like the advertisement said. He stepped walked across the foyer(cluttered with boxes) and stepped up the two extra steps so that he was standing in front of the kitchen doorway and right beside the grand staircase. Looking down the right hallway, he calculated at least 35 feet to the door; and he knew there was more behind it. He also knew it was the same length down the left hallway.

He did all this of this with a displeased look on his face.

This house was much too big.

Sure he could afford it no problem. And sure there would be a lot people living in it(mostly maids, servants, and cooks though). But he didn't like it. He much preferred a smaller dwelling, like an apartment. He didn't need all of this space or this room. He could cook for himself, clean up after himself. Why should he have other people do it?

Damn his friends. _"You're CEO now you should show off!"_

Yes he liked to be braggy at times. Why shouldn't he? He had pride in his accomplishments. But he didn't want to show off in _this_ way. Maybe in his younger, more arrogant days when he was still climbing to the top he would've liked this But now that he was at the top now, what was the point? He had so much work to do now a smaller space would be needed just to keep organized!

"Alright sir we've pretty much moved in every box. We got our check, nothing should be broken, so we will take our leave now. We hope you have a nice day!" A big and burly moving man said to him. The tall man only nodded in reply and gave a quiet thank you as an afterthought. The moving man started to leave with one of his coworkers trailing after him. The smaller coworker was looking around in awe as he left.

"He should have a nice day; living in this house. Damn it must be the biggest house on the edge of Konoha!"

The tall man flinched.

Damn his company. As CEO he should NOT have been forced to move back here.

Who cares if this is where he made the most profit? He had so many of his businesses opened up in other places, why couldn't he just move there.

_"Come on! I know you have more business sense than that! If you are in the place where you make the most profit you can see what you are doing right and direct every other one to do the same! Common sense!"_

He hated it when his fat friend was right. He also hated how his pride and ambition forced him to ignore aches from the past. Because he knew you can't ignore something forever.

He knew better than anyone.

"Wowee! Looking good!" A loud, feminine voiced yelled from the front door. The tall man knew who it was immediately. He also knew she was drunk. A slightly short female strolled up to the tall man and stood up on her tippy toes to sling her arm on his shoulders. Yep. He could smell the alcohol.

"You're early."

"I'm on time. The movers are gone aren't they? I don't see the moving truck. Unless it's behind the bushes or something."

"Well I haven't unpacked yet," he pointed out. The girl let out a cackle and waved her hand dismissively.

"That's what the maids and servants and cooks are for!" She said louder than necessary. The tall man raised an eyebrow.

"What maids, servants, and cooks? I haven't hired anyone."

"Well you can't unpack all of this stuff _now_ by yourself! You have to do it later! Come on let's go drinking!"

"Looks like you've already gone," he smirked and crossed his arms. The woman teetered on her feet.

"I just had six cups or so...of vodka. Come on! Everyone's there and it's no fun without you! ," she leaned over to say. The tall man looked down for a second, his eyes glazed over with thought.

"By there you mean...?" The woman rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Yes I mean Shushuya. Who else has good drinks for a cheap price?"

"Right. Who else...?" The man said absentmindedly. He was assaulted by memories past. Old memories. Fun memories. Good memories...Missed memories. His female companion fidgeted at his silence, she obviously was now remembering the significance of that old bar and even in her drunken state she wondered if this really was a good idea. But then she must've decided 'yes' because she grabbed his hand and grinned up at him.

"The fat slob thinks he can outdrink you," she challenged. It was enough he supposed. She was trying. They were all trying. And like a good, responsible 25-year-old, it was only courteous on his part to respond to their attempts. God knows they deserve his cooperation. In the first few years he was surprised they hadn't left him in the streets like he left...him.

He shook his head. Not the time. Besides the two circumstances were different. Completely different. He grinned widely and pulled his hand away to pull up his sleeves and loosen his tie. A competitive spark appear in his eyes.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? By the time that fatass leaves he'll know who is the true champion in the bar."

His female companion laughed loudly as she followed him out the big empty house.

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><p>Hope you liked it!<p>

And you can still play the game of 'guess who Naruto's lover is?'

For right now I only have Naruto as the character filter but once it gets revealed who the boyfriend(or ex-boyfriend) is I will put him in accordingly. Because he will play a HUGE role.

Hope you enjoyed and please tell me what you think!


	3. Chapter 2

Wow hi people!

I'm not dead or anything. And I am so, so, so, so, so, so, SO sorry for not updating things in a while. I've been working on them yeah but if you really want reasons for why I haven't updated anything yet it basically boils down to 2 things:

1)I'm so excited to be writing again that I have an inability to focus on one story(lawls...)

2)Teen Wolf.

So I got this up because it was the closest to being done. Yeah. Now I should calm down this weekend and upload more. SHOULD. Not making any promises this time...

So about this story...I revamped the summary a little because after talking to other folks(and experiencing it myself) I am aware that the 'surprise pairing' thing is kind of annoying. I know this story doesn't have many people going for it but I want to continue it anyway haha. Even if its stats stay the same :P.

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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><p>Shizune loved her boss she really did.<p>

Tsunade was a lovely woman even with her short-temper, her laziness, her alcoholism, and her tendency to ask for outrageous demands of her sole co-worker. She was a good woman Shizune knew. Because who else would take in an incredibly naive and eager intern who was as broke as anything? Who else would start up a small and free clinic in the bad side of Konoha and dedicate her life to saving lives who can't afford more luxurious treatment?

She could've been a doctor in Konoha city's official hospital and she could've been making HUGE amounts of money, most of which would go towards paying her gambling debts but still. She and Shizune lived in this tiny, little, one level building that doubled as their place of business. They could live in something much grander, much bigger!

But nope. When Tsunade got offered the job as head doctor at the hospital, she turned it down. In her own words, everyone deserved to be able to receive medical treatment, not just the rich people with insurance. And despite her every instinct screaming at her, Shizune couldn't leave her master. Not even for the money.

So far she hasn't regretted her decision. Not one bit. But while she was still dreaming, she at least wished they had a car.

Mayor Sarutobi was generous enough to give Tsunade and Shizune a weekly allowance for the services they were doing. Plenty of other people, mostly former patients, were also kind enough to have fundraisers and give donations to the two women as well. But it's too bad. Tsunade could have all the money in the world and she would STILL spend it in four ways. On food. On clothes. On medical supplies. And on gambling.

Shizune loved her boss she really, really did.

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><p>It was 3AM in the morning when Shizune was walking back to the clinic, a large, paper bag of groceries in her hand.<p>

Tsunade and her cravings. The woman has already gone through menopause and yet she STILL had those cravings for odd food at the oddest hours at night. And she was too lazy to go get it herself so what does she do? Make an excuse to stay home and get Shizune to go get the food of course!

At least Shizune got some needed shopping done.

But still she didn't want to be out here. It wasn't like she was scared walking down the dark streets of Konoha's inner city in a short, nurse's outfit(she accidentally grabbed that outfit when dragged out of bed). She had been doing this kind of errand since she was 22 and she was..._30_...now so being afraid after eight years of this would be just silly.

However just because she wasn't afraid, didn't mean she wasn't cautious.

She and Tsunade were well known in these parts for all the work they do, and that comes in handy when someone sneaks around at night and decides to leave them alone. But not everyone gives them a pass. And a pretty woman like her(no matter WHAT her age is!) needs to always be on guard when walking alone at night...carrying goodies...in a short, nurse's outfit...at 3 in the morn-

"Hey."

"AAAAAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEE!" Shizune screamed jumping two feet in the air. By coincidence or by miracle none of her groceries feel out. This was good because she was more afraid of Tsunade's wrath than some crack pot who liked scaring pretty women at night.

The crackpot insult was warranted as sure enough when Shizune turned to face the one who startled her he was a short, balding man who looked like he hasn't groomed himself in years. His wide, bloodshot eyes and the smell he gave off indicated to Shizune what he had just been doing before she walked by. When he grinned, he showed Shizune that he was missing quite a mouthful of teeth.

"You uh, uhhhhhh need help walking to my place?"

Shizune wondered if his 'place' was a trashcan in an alley. She shook her head.

"No thank you," she politely responded. "I already have a place I need to be. However you look like you could use some help. If you turn around and go down the street, take a left and walk two blocks. The first building on your right Konoha's rehab center. They'll be sure to fix you up and help you get clean, even at this hour," Shizune smiled.

"I'd love to walk you there, but my boss gets mad when I'm late with her food. So ciao! I hope you get better," she waved good-bye as she turned back around and started walking back. Obviously she wasn't dumb enough to think that would work. And also obviously when you've been on the street for eight years you pick up a few things.

Like extra awareness. When the man reached out to grab her arm Shizune spun around and faced him before he could touch her. Looking at him sharply she said, "I did not give you permission to touch me."

"Look lady," the man said glaring back at Shizune. "I-I-IIIIIIII took a lot out of my day to come and get you so yous better come back with me or I'll pop you so hard the doggy will feel it!"

"I made my intentions clear sir. I refuse to go with you for I am going home. Now make your way over to rehab. Or the police station," Shizune mumbled under her breath.

"I ain't-"

"HEY!"

Shizune and the man both whipped their heads to the side as they heard a loud voice. It sounded oddly familiar to Shizune and yet not. But it was too dark to see who the dark figure that was standing on the sidewalk was. He, he had to be a 'he', was standing pretty tall but he didn't look all that muscular. Just bulky and that could have been because of the clothes he was wearing. He was breathing heavily and for a second Shizune wondered if she was going to have to fight.

But then the figure pointed his finger at the man beside her.

"YOU!"

"Her?" the man asked nervously as he pointed at Shizune. Shizune wanted to correct him but she froze as she saw the figure brandish a pipe of some sort.

"GIVE ME BACK WHAT YOU STOLE!"

"IIIIIi-yeiiiiii I done used it all. I cannnnn't give it back to yas."

Drugged or not, everyone should know that is NOT what you say to someone holding a weapon!

"Halt! I work for the city and if you dare attack this man with a weapon I will have you-" Shizune cut herself off with her own scream as the figure, clearly not listening to her, ran after the short man. His pipe was poised dangerously over his head. She stepped and watched in horror as the short man only just barely dodged what could've been a lethal blow to his head. He had fallen to the ground and rolled away but stopped and was now crying as the figure hoisted the pipe above his head once more.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Shizune couldn't let this guy hurt someone. Even if they were drugged up creep. She closed her eyes and took a chance.

"Stop it!" She shouted shoving the figure. She quickly brought her arms back to her and opened her eyes. They widened almost comically when she saw the figure stumble forward, the pipe slip out of his hands, and then because it was above him, fall on his head and knock him out cold. Shizune stood still for a few seconds before the short man let out a wail and ran away.

The brunette woman didn't blame him. But she wasn't about to do the same. Not only because she dropped the groceries and going back to Tsunade empty-handed with only a story as an excuse would be bad, but also because she accidentally hurt this man and her heart told her to fix him up. She can get him in trouble later.

She quietly walked over to the body and knelt down beside his head. He was still breathing which was good. She felt around his neck to make sure he didn't hurt it falling and to her relief he didn't. Now to tackle the main problem.

He was wearing a dark-colored hoodie with the hood up and if she wanted to feel for the wound on his head she needed to take the hood down. When she did, she fell back in shock.

Blond, spiky hair.

Shizune breathed heavily for a few seconds. No. No way. No, no way it couldn't be! It couldn't...

Almost frantically the nurse crawled towards the boy and turned his head to the side.

A tan face, with whisker-like scars on his cheeks.

Shizune opened his eye lid.

A blank, blue eye peered out.

She fell back again in shock.

There was...no possible way this could be happening. No way that...

One more thing was needed to confirm it. Shizune carefully flipped the blond boy over so that he was on his back. Then she gently pulled up his hoodie and the white t-shirt under it to get a glance at his stomach. She stared dully.

A spiral tattoo.

It was him. It was _him._

Naruto Uzumaki.

After all these years...she managed to find him. She _finally managed to find him_. After all this time...But the moment of euphoria was very short when Shizune thought about what he was just now doing. He trying to beat the hell out of some short druggie for what now...?

He hasn't...turned anything around has he?

Shizune shook her head. What was she doing?!

Naruto was laying here with a head injury and she was mournfully thinking about how his life _hasn't_ changed? She needed to get him medical help ASAP before he gets worse! For a..._30_-year-old woman she was pretty strong. So she braced her muscles and lifted the younger blond boy only to realize for a young adult Naruto was pretty light.

Of course he was, she thought running back to the medical clinic. He's been on the streets all this time. How could he have found things to eat? And if he was still like he was before, Shizune had a very good hunch on what he really has been consuming this entire time. This only made her move even faster.

Who knows how bad Naruto's body is right now? Without any of the essential nutrients normal food provides, and with the damaging chemicals of God knows what drugs running through his veins, Naruto could be breathing his last right now. Shizune refused to let the boy who was once a sweet, little brother-like figure to her perish this way.

So without care or concern for whether Tsunade was sleeping or not(she most likely wasn't), Shizune burst into the clinic, the doors made a loud banging sound as they crashed against the walls. She flipped on all the lights and shouted "Ms. Tsunade! Come quick we have an emergency!"

Her boss look incredibly grumpy when she came into lobby(understandable as 'emergency' can also mean debt collector) but the look of shock on her face when she saw who was on Shizune's back quickly changed her mood.

Shizune saw a torrent of strong emotions in her mentor's brown eyes. But her one sentence was what got them to work.

"His head is injured. We need to fix his head."

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><p>"He's too skinny."<p>

"I know."

"His lungs are in horrible condition. Whatever it is he's been doing these past years he's been smoking way too much."

"I can see."

"Heartbeat is irregular...I can't even begin to determine what he has or hasn't taken recently. It's just too chaotic inside of him."

"He's always been chaotic on the inside. Even before all of this."

"...What do we do?"

Tsunade sighed heavily. It was during times like these that she actually felt her age or even much older. Just her sour luck that Jiraiya's godchild, a child even she grew to love and care for, should go missing at 19 and come back four years later in such a decrepit condition. Honestly with how his life was going since his high school graduation did she expect any better?

Yes. Honestly, she did expect him to somehow turn his life around in the period time where no one knew where he was.

"Ms. Tsunade?"

"He can stay the night and if needed the next few nights too. But he needs long-term care at this point Shizune. This isn't something that can blow over in a few days."

Shizune winced and looked at the very still boy on the bed hooked up to an IV and a ventilator, head wrapped in bandages. Tsunade already knew what she was thinking. Providing long-term care for Naruto just wasn't in this clinic's means. Multiple check-ups ,sure. A watchful eye, okay. But a room and food in addition to medical care? That would be too difficult. They could barely feed themselves what with the cost of medical supplies, her debts(which would not stop no matter what), and Shizune dropping their groceries.

"But I highly doubt that he can afford that at this point. Can't we make an exception?"

Bless Shizune's kind heart. Tsunade only wished she could be that optimistic. Of course that wish should never come true because without her to be the realist this clinic would've gone under long ago. In Naruto's case, through a lot of pleading and many favors she managed to freeze the bank accounts Jiraiya and his parents left the boy(may they rest in peace). It was also hard for her to do on a moral level, because when it came down to it the money _was_ his(or at least now in his name) and he was an adult.

But he was _**far**_ from responsible. The way he was spending it, carelessly blowing it off on things that could very well end his life...she had to do something! And if that meant cutting Naruto off from his essential money supply then so be it. Doesn't look like it stopped him, but she knew he could've been dead sooner otherwise.

And she knew now that if he hasn't changed in these past years, opening the accounts up to him again was not an option.

Even if they did keep a close eye and made sure the money went towards health care, they couldn't stop him from doing what he wanted. And Naruto is sneaky. Extra sneaky when he wants something. He'll find a way out of the health care system, pretend he's 'better' again, and get right back to what he was doing.

Knowing that prediction could be entirely accurate made her heart rip and tear into pieces. But she _is_ the realist, and that meant there wasn't time for her to get sad over what Naruto is now compared to what he was before. Now she needed to think up the most realistic way possible to help save him.

"Listen up Shizune, we only have three options here," she declared. Shizune looked away from Naruto and blinked curiously at her.

"We can send him off to a place where he can go in and get 24-hour care but come out with a mountain of debt that he'll never be able to pay off."

"But-"

"Giving him access to his bank accounts is not an option. He'll only abuse it when he gets better. Not mention I don't think he even has insurance anymore and you can forget about him applying for some now. Unless we are certain that he is over whatever addictions he has, Naruto is NOT to be trusted with money."

"Well there is rehab."

Tsunade nodded, "That is an essential piece right now. But I'm not telling him how to get his money and he doesn't have any insurance to cover the costs. Not to mention neither of us can force him to go. He could leave this place and then go straight to a dealer."

"...So what else is there?"

"He moves in with a friend. Now that we have him we can find someone reliable and trustworthy who can watch over him."

That was way more possible, but highly improbable. Naruto didn't exactly leave his friends on a good note. In fact, last time Tsunade spoke to them about Naruto was about a year ago and by then they had all settled in the mindset that Naruto was literally dead and to spare him another grieving thought was detrimental to their lives. Convincing any one of them to take Naruto in was way easier said than done.

"Isn't there anything else?"

Tsunade turned around so that Shizune wouldn't see her face. She shrugged. "I don't know. Hope that that bang to the head knocked some sense into him and when he wakes up he'll be the Naruto we knew and loved again."

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><p>After moving, getting drunk, and doing phone interviews with potential employees for his house, Kurama was beyond exhausted and really, really, really just wanted to fall on his bed and go to sleep(he'll sleep on the floor though if he can't make it that far).<p>

But he needed to make one more call. Although he had seen a good chunk of his closest friends at Shushuya's there was one particular lady he hasn't seen or heard from yet. This lady he had the pleasure of seeing many, many times in the years leading up to...s-someone's disappearance. Tsunade was a hard woman but that's why he enjoyed her company. He also did like her skittish assistant Shizune though it was hard to talk to her because she was so busy all the time running errands for her boss.

It was a ridiculous time in the morning, but Kurama was certain they wouldn't mind a call from him anyway. It's not like this would be the first time. When he called though he only got their voicemail which was could only mean that there was someone in there in a serious enough condition that required the both of them.

He rambled off some sort of greeting, reminding Tsunade and Shizune who he was, and told them he was going to be in the city for a while now. However when it came time to end the message and say good-bye, his sleep-deprived brain mixed up 'call you later' with 'see you later' and he accidentally promised a visit in a few days' time. It was only after he hung up that he realized what he had said.

He wasn't exactly sure if he could keep that promise...whatever. He'll probably try anyways. Maybe. Blinking tiredly, Kurama yawned and stood up from his desk and only made it halfway to his bed before he slumped onto the floor. With one last yawn and no attempt to get comfortable, the red-head falls asleep right there on the ground.

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><p>And done!<p>

Yay this is going somewhere! As far as emotion goes yeah I feel kind of bad because they didn't show much here but I promise it'll pick up more later. My reasoning here is that Naruto's life is kind of in danger and Tsunade's a realist so practical stuff comes first.

LOL Kurama will be doing that a lot. Not making it to the bed hehe.

So...yeah I really want to do something with this story. Like others I have a lot of things planned for it. Also I am aware that drugs is a sensitive topic and I will treat it seriously(like research and shit). No romantizing here haha. Naruto has a serious problem and it will be dealt with...seriously :P.

Hope you enjoyed! Please tell me what you think! Next to be updated is either Cheater Cheater or a surprise! Don't care if I wasn't supposed to tell you about the surprise!


	4. Chapter 3

woo chapter 3!

This is pretty long compared to previous chapters being over 7100 words. I'm not gonna bother with the beta thing lol. By this point it should be clear I have no beta at the moment so I'm getting into the habit of doing maaaaaanny more read thrus. If this changes I'll let you know. Also I went back to the previous chaps and edited out some of the typos(and put in linebreaks. How could I freaking forget the linebreaks?). Sorry about that. Nothing else to really say here :P.

Please enjoy!

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><p>Friday morning in Konoha's inner city clinic at exactly 5:07AM, two blue eyes opened.<p>

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><p>It was the weekend. The glorious, glorious weekend!<p>

He _still_ wasn't done setting everything up in his house and moving everything into his new office but he hardly cared. Walking outside in the cool, Friday night air, Kurama could only think 'I'm done'. He was done working this week. He had spent every waking minute these past few days making sure he had the bare essentials up and running; and so for tonight, tomorrow, and possibly Sunday, he would do what _he_ wanted to do.

Re-lax!

Oh! And see Tsunade. It's crazy how in the beginning she didn't like him very much(something about him being a 'bad influence'). But she toned the hate down after...a while and right before he left. Maybe by now she'll let bygones be bygones and there is no more hostility between them. Someone told him she called him back(though he had yet to find the time to answer) so if that's the case then that would be great. He'll head on over there Saturday morning. They are open all the time, but once again he could hear sweet and wonderful alcohol calling for him.

So make that Saturday afternoon then.

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><p>"You need to tell us what you have taken," Tsunade demanded. They had been putting this talk off all day to make Naruto comfortable, but they couldn't do so any longer.<p>

"You honestly think my fucked up brain can remember everything it made me put in me? If it were _that_ smart I wouldn't be here in the first place!"

"You mean here in this room or in this situation in general?"

Naruto crossed his arms, looking quite haughty to the two women. "You tell me."

Tsunade rolled her eyes and shook her head in disgust but Shizune kept up her concerned look.

"Naruto you've got to be suffering out there. You couldn't have been happy the way you were."

Naruto shifted a little in his bed. His eyes darted to every corner of the room and he blinked rapidly. He looked a little uncomfortable. Had Shizune's words struck a chord?

"There," Naruto began. He paused to lick his dry lips before continuing, "There was some times where I felt bad. Sometimes I would feel low and all. But I couldn't end anything! That meant giving up the happy moments too! And no one cares about sadness out there."

"That's not true. Sad people show up to our clinic all the time," the brunette nurse pointed out.

Naruto hesitated briefly. But then his eyes steeled into a hard blue and he bared his teeth. "Sad people show up or do you assault them and kidnap them against their will?! And they're unconscious and can't tell you to put them down?!"

Shizune gasped and tried to say something in her defense. Something to the effect of the medical oath every doctor and nurse must make which is the promise to do everything they can to aid the injured and sick. But Tsunade cut in sharply.

"Okay we're getting off topic here. Naruto we're not trying to upset you so we'd appreciate it if you could stay civil with us." And the way she eyed him showed she meant business. She had no real threat to give him, not that she knew what kinds of threats would work or not, but she could be pretty intimidating. And not even her old age could stop that magical effect she had on those who misbehaved in front of her, including mood-swinging druggies. Sure enough, Naruto faltered and backed down.

"Fine. But so you know I wasn't sad all the time. Or even happy. I was mostly just _hungry_. That's all I remember really," he spoke lowly rubbing his stomach. It growled loudly.

"Can I eat something now? I'm starving."

Shizune and Tsunade glanced at each other, each with varying degrees of worry. Naruto's weight was a major concern for them. He was well below was the normal weight range for his age and height. He was barely tipping the scale at 115lbs when he should be above 150lbs at least. This weakness was too their advantage in that Naruto couldn't sneak away under their watch(he could barely get out of bed). But still they would like to do something about that while he's still here.

"Well can I? I'm starving."

"After you answer some of our questions Naruto. Then you'll have as much food as you can fit in your stomach."

"Make sure it's a lot. I never feel full anymore."

'_When has he ever?'_ Tsunade thought bitterly.

"So can you at least remember any of the drugs you've taken? Any that you've sought out?"

Naruto let out a frustrated sigh. "Why do you need me to tell you? Why can't you take me to a lab or something?"

"We've already sent some samples from you to a lab," Tsunade answered through gritted teeth. She was getting mighty pissed with his answer-dodging. "They're going to take a while to return and until then we'd like to have an idea of what we're dealing with so we can at least treat you now for what you have. Now _please_ stop being difficult. If you can't remember what you've taken just say so!" Everyone in the room could tell Tsunade was reaching the end of her rope the way she clenched the pen and clipboard in her hand.

Naruto sighed once more and leaned back on his pillows. "Okay I can tell you what I remember. I was a bore in the world."

"What?"

A wide smile broke out on Naruto's face and his eyes glazed over a bit. "Heroin. Cocaine. Ecstasy. I wanted those the most. They made me feel good," he frowned, "but they made _everyone_ feel good. That's why they called me a bore drug addict. Cause I was addicted to what everyone else was addicted too."

"That's not surprising," Tsunade said writing what Naruto said down. "Those are some of the most common drugs to be addicted too. Especially heroin."

"Do you remember how much you took?"

"I don't know!" Naruto snapped, sitting up. "I don't know if I even GOT any of them at any point!"

"You obviously did if you say they were what made you feel good and they were what you sought after," Tsunade pointed out. Naruto grumbled under his breath because she was right. It was worrying, but not entirely unexpected that he honestly couldn't remember.

"Have you taken anything recently?"

"Ugh! I don't know!"

"What about that guy earlier? He stole something from you didn't he?"

"Who?" Naruto asked raising an eyebrow at Shizune. "Everyone tries to steal something from me be more specific."

"The one that you were chasing when you ran into me. You know, you tried to hit him with a pipe? That guy?"

Naruto only slowly blinked at Shizune and she frowned in return. She looked at her boss.

"Ms. Tsunade..." She barely uttered above a whisper. The doctor just narrowed her eyes at their patient and made a mental note to check his head again. Clicking her pen closed she stood up, Shizune following her lead right after.

"Ok I think we're done here."

Naruto yawned and laid down. "Good. I'm starting to feel really sleepy ya know? Gonna rest up."

"We'll bring you-umph!" Tsunade covered Shizune's mouth with her hand and nodded at Naruto.

"You do that. Call us if you need anything!" She said and quickly pulled her nurse out. By that point Naruto was fast asleep. Out in the hallway alone Shizune questioned her boss' actions.

"What was that for? I was just going to say we'd bring him his food!"

"Well we need time to prepare the food don't we Shizune? If you reminded him that he's hungry he would've stayed awake to wait for sustenance. Him being asleep is better because if he stays awake he's going to feel the withdrawal symptoms sooner and it'll be ugly. It'll make him more irritable and more stressed which is bad for him AND us. Let's just let him snooze for a bit while we make dinner."

A look of realization dawned on Shizune's face and she nodded and then she and Tsunade started heading towards the break room. To keep their spirits up, the younger nurse started pointing out the positive things.

"Well at least he could've been worse! It only took him a few hours to regain complete consciousness and now he's coherent and talking and responding normally. I mean sure he has a few memory problems and maybe he can get a bit defensive but honestly he doesn't look too bad to me. I guess I can't say anything else yet but I think he stands a real chance at getting help! What do you think?"

The blonde doctor just grunted in return. She wished she could share her employee's outstanding optimism, but she had to look at it from a realistic perspective. What they just went through now was only the beginning. As the withdrawal symptoms start to get to him, Naruto's only going to become more unpredictable and difficult. Possibly volatile given how he used to be before he ran off. Hell before he even got into drugs in the first place he could be extremely hot-headed and quick to anger. Who knows how much his temper has been amplified since then. Tsunade suspected he was only mostly calm now because he was still coming to from that blow to the head and possibly whatever else he had done before he ran into Shizune.

They had their work cut out for them. And none of their calls branded them with any success. The public and private health care centers and rehabs happily told her that Naruto needed mountains of paperwork done and that everything that hasn't been updated in the past four years needs to be updated before they could even consider taking him in(apparently they get a lot of patients) and even so they would not budge on their prices. All of his friends either haven't answered her phone calls yet or were too busy with grad school or work to say more than 'Hi! Sorry I'm busy. I'll try to call you next week. Bye!' and hanging up. Granted it was around finals time so there was that.

But the fact was, the only person who actually called them was Naruto's ex Kurama. And even he hasn't answered her calls yet! He at least he promised to visit, but he called on Tuesday and it was now Friday evening with no word from him. And a part of her wondered if he was even up for the job. Although she used to see him as nothing more than a psychopathic, little trouble maker and was extremely nervous when he started seeing Naruto; looking at where the both of them are now and how they got there, she could see her early dismissal of him was way off base. At the same time however, he was the only one who left Konoha City and she had a strong feeling it had everything to do with the sleeping blond patient.

She could only hope that now that he has come back, he's ready to face Naruto and can hopefully put up with him again.

Shizune continued to make mindless chatter about Naruto's chances in the background, completely oblivious to her boss' worries.

* * *

><p>It was around 1:02PM on Saturday when Kurama finally showed up at the clinic.<p>

He didn't know if it was the quality of the liquor or the quantity but that hangover lasted an unusually long time this morning. None of his usual tricks worked either. He was feeling okay enough now to move around but he won't lie. He'll likely ask for some painkillers. Walking into the main lobby he saw it changed very little since he had last been here.

The front desk and the chairs looked nice and new and there seemed to be a fresh coat of white paint on the walls. But it was still squeaky clean and the room was still arranged how it has always been. Tsunade and Shizune however were nowhere to be seen so he cupped one hand around his mouth and called out for them.

"Hello? Tsunade, Shizune it's me Kurama! I promised I'd visit remember? You guys here? And if you are, have any painkillers?"

There was no answer for a few seconds and just as Kurama was about to walk down the hall he heard Shizune call out, "We're coming!" And so he stopped and waited.

It didn't take long for Tsunade and Shizune to show up. Both looked incredibly tired though Tsunade more so. Probably because Shizune was smiling and she wasn't(he hoped that coffee in her hand put her in a good mood at least). Still it was his first time seeing them in years. He'll keep his appearance comments to himself.

"Hey you guys look...well." Or he will sugar coat them. Shizune only smiled brighter.

"Thanks!"

"Assuming that's sarcasm then the same could be said to you." As always Tsunade was brutally honest. With a sheepish laugh Kurama put his hand behind his head.

"Yeah I have a killer headache leftover from a bad hangover this morning. Got any painkillers I could use?" He asked. To his surprise both Tsunade and Shizune shook their heads.

"We'd like to help but due to one of our patients, at this time we are asserting our policy that we will only give medicine to patients," Shizune explained. Well damn.

"Don't tell me that the only reason you are visiting is to get some painkillers."

"No no! I actually did come to see how you guys are doing and catch up a little. Soooo how are you?"

"Tired mostly but a little relieved!"

"And disappointed," the blonde doctor added.

"Why?"

Tsunade and Shizune shared a glance that had Kurama puzzled. He became even more puzzled when they told him to sit down.

"The chairs are nicer than I remembered," he commented, hoping to somehow brighten the suddenly bleak atmosphere. But not even Shizune cracked a smile.

"So we have a new patient as we told you. We got him a few days ago and unlike the others we've had to keep him here for a while. There haven't been any issues that we can't fix so far. Except for one...He's the same as he was before," the young woman hesitantly explained.

"Same as he was before?" Kurama repeated. His heart rate was rising and his stomach curled a little. That headache that was hurting him was now the very least of his worries. There was no way she could be referring to who he thinks she's referring to.

"Who?"

"I know you figured it out. Naruto you idiot!"

Hearing his name again just sent a surge of emotion through him. He knew this was inevitable the moment he found out he needed to move back here. Though he remembered hearing shortly after he left that Naruto had disappeared. That was the last bit of info he heard about the blond since moving away. And now he's come back to hear that things haven't changed at all.

He bowed his head and grinned a little. Honestly he didn't know what to expect. He knew what he had hoped and a part of him still kind of does hope.

"He...hasn't broken free of his addiction yet," Shizune nervously said. Kurama glanced up to see she wouldn't even look at him. It was clear that she thought this was a huge matter and wanted to handle it as delicately as possible. Bless her but Kurama didn't want to hear 'delicateness' at the moment. He wanted to see Naruto and see if everything was the same.

"...Is he here? Right now?"

"Of course he's in one of the back rooms."

Okay so Naruto was here. He could actually see him again, hear him again. It's been so long and he remembers vividly everything about the blond. Shizune's words shouldn't leave him with much hope but...the urge to see him again was powerful. Kurama wanted to lie to himself and believe that Naruto may have recovered somewhat, not caring at all about being disappointed later. They did share something even though things ended horrendously. He wasn't looking to go back to where they once were(in fact he wasn't entirely sure he wanted a relationship with him again) but, if there's a chance that seeing him after four years will somehow miraculously make things alright...

It's been four years. Was it right to still cling onto old wounds and pain after all this time? He had moved away from this city to move on. Surely...he has done so right?

"Can I see him?"

"Well...it's not like you'll hurt him right? And he is awake so I don't see why not."

"How long has he been here?" Kurama asked standing up.

"We told you. We found him only a few days ago. I ran into this guy and he-uh...yeah."

Kurama had a feeling there was something they weren't telling him but he put that off for later. What he wanted to know was why Naruto was left on his own for all this time.

"You mean you just found him _now_? You've been here all this time, how did you not find him earlier?!"

"Do NOT get an attitude with us! Look at the size of this city do you really think we had the time and the patience to look in every corner for this sneaky kid?"

Kurama shut his mouth then because she had a point. Shizune and Tsunade then started to lead him to Naruto's hospital room and he was just thankful they didn't mention the fact that he didn't try to find Naruto in all this time either.

As they got closer, Kurama held himself together. He always had a good grip on himself. And now would be no different despite the circumstances. He would not break into sweats or panicky feelings or anything silly like that. He didn't even feel the physical urge to. For some reason, he felt as cool as a cucumber; very little actually in terms of nervousness. Just a little sense of...it was hard to describe. He just didn't know what was going to happen.

"He's in that room over there. Again he's awake so just try and stay calm please? He's been a little explosive since he woke up so no matter what he says please don't react in an extreme way. It may just aggravate him even more and stress is not what he needs at the moment," Shizune advised as she leads Kurama to Naruto's room. Kurama simply nodded. Next to him Tsunade took another sip of her coffee before chiming in with her own advice.

"We've already decided to let him just sit and rest for a while before we tell him all that he's missed so be extra cautious about what you say. Like Shizune said stress will only make him worse."

"So I can't talk about myself?" Kurama asked raising an eyebrow. Tsunade shrugged.

"You can mention your successes but you should probably hold off on expressing your disappointment until a later date. The only thing that will do is make him get defensive and he'll close up, probably say some incendiary words... So it's best for you to just keep things calm and neutral."

"Okay," the red-head sighed, feeling more baffled than before. What a new situation. He actually had rules for talking to Naruto. It hasn't been like this since they first went out when the blond's friends would form protective metaphorical circles around him(and crash their dates to 'babysit'). They reached the door quickly and suddenly he was on his own. Tsunade and Shizune left with a 'good luck' and he steeled his nerves.

It wasn't like he was going to die or anything(though suffer was still up in the air). Just see Naruto. Kurama mentally counted to three and opened the door.

Naruto was wide awake and sitting up. He was fiddling with his bed covers when Kurama walked in at which he immediately looked up.

He had gone through some...changes...

One thing Kurama immediately noticed was that Naruto was much tinier than before. The gown he wore and the covers seemed to swallow him up. But his hair was still blond and his eyes still blue. He looked a little paler than he used to be, but otherwise he was virtually the same. The dark bags under his eyes were just as prominent as they had been when Kurama ended things. Noticing that, he realized, means things really haven't changed.

Their first time speaking to each in over four years and Kurama felt a little overwhelmed. He didn't have any idea what to say despite having all that time to think. The problem was he thought too much and now there's _so_ much to say that he couldn't pick what to bring up first. So he could only trust Naruto to say the one thing that had ran through his head several times.

"Traitor!"

There was no joking tone. The blond pointed at him accusingly. He glared, his stormy blue eyes dark with anger. He shouted in a scratchy voice that had Kurama nearly cringe. And all that did was break the dam. Kurama felt consumed with bitterness and pain and all he could do was _not_ act like the mature adult he was, but lash back.

"Oh ha. HA! How mature! And completely _priceless_ coming from you!"

Naruto growled fiercely but Kurama matched it with a glare.

"And you know, I would think after all this time you would've realized by now that you were the one that left me first!"

"Whatever! I want nothing to do with you now."

Naruto faced away with his arms crossed. Well that impudence hasn't changed a bit he could see. It would be amusing had this not been so serious. Now that Naruto's been found, it would be easier to get back into his life. Question is, if he hadn't changed at all, does Kurama even want to get back in his life? Was the heartbreak and pain worth it the first time? Of course not because Naruto never recovered.

But if he can recover now, will it be worth it?

"Are you going to stand in here all day?! Go away I don't want to see you!"

That question can only be answered if Naruto can actually recover.

Kurama only spat out that the feeling was completely mutual and stomped out of Naruto's room. He stomped passed a bemused Tsunade and a panicky Shizune without saying a word to either of them. He was going home and he would not come back.

This visit ultimately proved that he was wrong. Four years away and he had not moved on or forgot about all the pain Naruto put him through. Seeing him again has just brought all the ugliness up to the surface. He needed a freaking drink.

* * *

><p>Despite his best efforts, in the following week Kurama could not stay true to his word and came back two more times on two different days to see Naruto.<p>

Each visit went just as badly as the first meeting and went almost the exact same way. Kurama would go home angry and upset. He would spend a few hours distracting himself and giving no thought to Naruto. He then would spend a few hours telling himself that he didn't need the blond and shouldn't care at all what happens to him. And then he would spend a few hours hating himself for running away when he prides himself on being a fighter. It ends with him coming to the conclusion that running away was the coward's way out and he was not going to do that again. Ultimately, he _was_ concerned despite every effort he made not to be.

Naruto on the other hand, spent every waking moment hating himself. He would take out these unwanted feelings aggressively on his doctor and nurse. Making shouts and demands to be let back onto the streets where he could find ways to stop feeling so bad, and start feeling good again(by feeling nothing) that were rejected each and every time. When he wasn't yelling at them he was just yelling in general as the withdrawal symptoms from everything he took started to happen. So when Kurama would show up again, causing a new burst of self-hate and guilt, he was an irritable and spiteful mess.

Naruto would show the opposite of appreciation for Kurama's concern for him. Kurama would be angry that his efforts at reconciliation were in vain. They'd have a one-sided shouting match(Naruto doing the shouting) that was always short in duration as either Shizune or Tsunade would kick Kurama out(not necessary as Kurama was always in the process of stomping out of the room when they show up).

The cycle of self-hate would start again when they were away from each other.

But Kurama's next visit, would go a little bit differently and would change things significantly.

* * *

><p>Back <em>again<em>? When will he learn?

Never he realized. He thought he learned the first time. He even managed to move away from this dreadful city. But still he came back. And even while he was gone thoughts plagued him(except when he was too drunk to think). And now that Naruto was here, he was completely powerless to stop his urge. He had to keep seeing him. Even when he really, really didn't want to.

As he walked into the clinic, Kurama had no good expectations on what will happen. They will probably fight, again. A yawning Shizune waved him down the hall. Naruto will shout loud and nasty words of hate and vitriol, again. He will most likely stomp out of the room angry, again. And there will be no hint-not one-of reconciliation on _either_ of their parts. Kurama wondered if keeping his expectations this low was healthy. Contrary to what he tells himself it doesn't save him from disappointment every time.

He made it to Naruto's room and was slightly baffled to see the lights were off under the door before he remembered the time. Well it was pretty late so he must be sleeping(even though he used to be quite the night owl). In that case Kurama should leave and visit him again another time. No need to make sure he's sleeping. No need to check on him. That's Tsunade's and Shizune's job as they were his caretakers for the time being.

Once again, the commands Kurama gave his body were deftly ignored. He quietly as he could opened the door and stepped in. First thing he saw was Naruto laying under the covers, chest moving up and down in a slightly erratic rhythm but not enough to be worrying. His expression was peaceful, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. He was definitely and assuredly, 100% asleep. So Kurama could go now as there was no talking to be done that night obviously.

But he stepped closer to the bed. And he took another step and another step. There were still all of these machines around him. ¥99000 equipment monitoring his every vital sign. They looked alright. Naruto looked alright. He looked more than alright when he was asleep like this. Just like with everything he's done so far, Kurama didn't mean to reach his hand out and lightly run it over his ex's soft hair. Still as soft as it was when Kurama used to do it(though it has probably had a good washing since he's been here).

But not only did he not mean to do that, it also turned out to be a bad idea. Naruto apparently was a lighter sleeper now. He let out a tiny cough that had Kurama scrambling to back up. When his sleeping ex let out a little moan he froze, not sure if he should leap towards the door or stand still and hope Naruto would immediately go back to sleep. But the odds were against him. Naruto shifted around a bit and slowly blinked his eyes open. Too late to do anything then as Naruto obviously caught sight of him.

Kurama could imagine hearing the shouting and demands to get out but that's not what he actually heard.

"K-Kurama? Kurama hold me. Please! Just...hold me. I need you Kurama. I missed you. So much..."

It sounded like a dream; a dream that was going to turn horrible in a few seconds. But this wasn't one of Kurama's nightmares from years ago. No he was here, wide awake in real time standing in Naruto's hospital room while the blond, more than likely very drugged(at least it was legal this time), called out for him.

It was such a contrast to his earlier attitude, where he clearly stated he wanted nothing to do with him.

"Kuramaaaa." The blond moaned making the red-head gulp. He sounded so needy and yet...and yet...

No, Kurama thought shaking his head and remembering. He was no stranger to this side of Naruto. It happened _a lot_ in the ensuing weeks leading up to their break up. Naruto would shout and be angry and irrational for no reason. But at night, after a bit of sleep(ranging from a few minutes to a few hours)a much more vulnerable side would come out. He would wake up calling for Kurama and making pleads and begs for either him or mercy or forgiveness.

It never lasted long. And Naruto would wake up every morning with no recollection of what he said. It was the same old trick that Kurama fell for again and again and again.

And again.

He slowly made his way back towards Naruto. He wasn't going to touch him again but being physically close should be enough. It should be more than enough to get him to go back to sleep after which Kurama will do what he should've done in the first place and run. Sure enough, a few seconds later and Naruto was dozing off again. Kurama gave him one last look of mixed emotion. Pity. Sympathy. Pain. Longing. Regret. No emotion stronger than the other.

The red-head then turned around and he left.

But before he could get out the door he heard Naruto mumble one last thing that made him freeze in his tracks. He clenched the doorknob tightly and almost slammed it before continuing on his way.

* * *

><p>"We really can't keep him much longer. He's out of the red zone now so it's safe to send him somewhere else."<p>

"Is this even legal?"

"Of course. He's supposed to go live with family, but if he doesn't have any we choose the next best thing. And right now that's you."

"Please Kurama? If you don't take him in his other options don't look very good!" Shizune pleaded. He could picture the truth behind her words. A jail cell, back on the streets, in a dumpster...And this is assuming Naruto is allowed access to his fortune. Like it was even probable at this point that Naruto would seriously help himself get over his drug addictions. The boy couldn't even admit he was miserable enough to do so!

The best thing to do would be to leave Naruto under the care of someone else. Someone who cares enough and is rich enough to do so. Someone like him...

"Come on what's your answer?! We don't have much longer!" Tsunade shouted. Kurama couldn't answer because he was still thinking. He may care about Naruto's recovery and can easily cover the expenses. But they were asking for something huge here. They want him to watch over his 23-year-old ex again? Given their attitudes towards each other?

"We're going to have to turn him in to the police..." Shizune said sorrowfully.

So should he? Should he? Should he? Last chance. Should he? Should he take it? Should he? Should he? _Should he_?

Tsunade heaved a heavy sigh. "I figured. Well-"

In that split second, Kurama made a subconscious decision and spoke without thinking.

"Let him stay with me Tsunade. We don't need to turn him in."

It was the first time since he came back that he actually saw Tsunade _smile_. She looked grateful and hopeful. But only for a split second as she then looked incredibly serious.

"Now are you absolutely sure? Naruto won't be easy to handle and care for. He'll need constant supervision and you need to make he follows my orders every day. Rehab is a must and no matter how stubborn that brat is he will have to go. And _you _need to keep yourself in check around him. For God's sake control your temper a little! I understand how difficult it is, believe me, but it doesn't help anyone to blow up at him! The _only_ reason we are still asking you is because we can't keep Naruto here for much longer and you are the only one who keeps coming here."

_'She's telling me to control MY temper?'_ Kurama thought before the rest of her words sunk in.

The young man hesitated. Did he really feel like he could take on this responsibility? Did he _really_ want to take care of his _ex-_boyfriend as if the blond was a mere child(only instead of school it is rehab he is forcing him to go to)? He didn't even know if he would have the time to be by his side that much throughout the day. Although...he did have his home employees now. And he always was just a phone call away.

And if he recovers-even if they have be a little distant from each other in the beginning-if he recovers and becomes the Naruto he knew before...It would take probably a shit ton of effort on his end, almost if not as much as the effort required on Naruto's end, but if he succeeds...Naruto's words from the night before rang in his ears.

_"I'm so sorry everyone."_

It would be worth it, wouldn't it?

"Kurama we don't have much time-"

"I'll do it," he repeated.

"Are you _sure_? I'm telling you if Naruto screws up anymore there will be some rough consequences for him. I don't want that to happen so _please_. Assure me and _promise_ me you'll do your best to help Naruto."

"I promise," he nodded.

"Good," Tsunade sighed. She then stood up from her office chair. "Glad this talk is over. I thought it was going to be the hardest part," She said while stretching. The blonde doctor then smiled a simple smile. "Naruto should be waking up soon so we'd better go and get him some food before he starts yelling. We'll keep him here one more night. Sorry I know that's a pretty short time for you to get your place ready. But in return we have been working on Naruto's paperwork so once you find a rehab center for him you should be ready to just check him in."

"It won't take me that long to set things up anyway," Kurama reassured her. Truly this would be a breeze compared to all of moving necessities he's been doing.

Shizune grinned and said, "I know it's been a while and he's so stubborn and drugs are something else when you have an addiction, but Naruto is not out of the ball park yet. I'm confident that he'll get better. I know he will!"

"Still as optimistic as ever."

Tsunade was right. But he would believe with Shizune that Naruto will get better. Thinking back on those words he mumbled before he left the last time, gave him hope.

* * *

><p>Kurama was outside when he heard the dramatic scream.<p>

"THIS IS TORTUUUUUUUUURE!"

It was definitely Naruto. He sighed, told his driver not to worry, and walked in. He was alone of course but he remembered Tsunade telling him that he should wait in the lobby while they break the news to Naruto and convince him to go with him. So he sat in one of the comfy lobby chairs and picked-up a magazine; patiently waiting for Naruto to come out.

* * *

><p>Naruto was rocking back and forth in his bed.<p>

"No! You guys don't understand what I'm feeling right now! It's torture!" The 23-year-old flops back onto his bed and then sits back up again.

"I can't even sit still! Just let me-!"

"No!" Tsunade shouted her patience already being tested once again by the loud blond. "And hold on we're preparing something that will make this easier to handle!"

"Just a few more seconds Naruto and you'll be fine in a jiffy!" Shizune added with a smile as she continued making measurements. Naruto gritted his teeth and leaned forward.

"I don't want that! Fuck you just give me an easy fix!"

Tsunade turned to scowl at him. Asking for drugs? That was something even Naruto knew was a stupid thing to do. But Naruto could hardly find it within him to even act sorry even though he did feel guilty.

"Do you want to sit there with nothing?" Tsunade threatened. The threat only served to make Naruto even more agitated. It was not a good feeling with what he was going through already. He squeezed his eyes shut and screamed towards the ceiling.

"No no no no no! I just want this all to end damn it!"

"So here."

Naruto stopped and looked at the pills and glass of water in front of him. Without even a thank you, he greedily grabbed the objects from Tsunade's hands and gulped both of them down. When he didn't immediately feel results he flipped again.

"What the hell I still feel bad!"

"Give it a few minutes to kick in."

"I'm not patient! I'm ready to kill you guys if you don't give me a fix and let me go!" It's not like Naruto meant to get violent despite his threat and his clenching of his fists. But he felt a disconnect between what he wanted and how he wanted to get it. He didn't want to hurt Tsunade and Shizune despite everything(and he knew despite being a meek woman and an old lady, they alone could easily dispatch him while he was like this). And he did feel bad threatening them. But at the same time he wanted to end this _suffering_. A withdrawal like this felt worse than anything he remembered experiencing before. Not even a stabbing felt this bad. Not even rolling off of the top of a dumpster onto the hard asphalt felt this bad. It felt _bad_ and he needed to stop it.

"Naruto..." It was the first time Naruto saw Tsunade look sad or even vaguely uncomfortable. Shizune already wouldn't look him in the eye and was biting her nails. He could feel the disappointment and the sadness coming off of them and that only made him feel worse. He needed another fix and he needed it _**now**_. So he changed tactics. He went the pathetic route. He already felt pathetic anyway.

"Or I'll do whatever else you need! Anything! Anything! Anything!" He kept shouting. He probably looked as desperate as he sounded but it was inevitable. He only stopped when Tsunade gave him the command he least expected.

"Go home with Kurama."

He said he would do anything. But every single time he made that pseudo-promise he found out that if he didn't say the words 'I promise' he never meant it. He didn't want to do_ anything _and anything he didn't _want_ to do he wouldn't. He just wouldn't. Naruto had to say what he could to get his fix, but when push came to shove only half of the time was he even willing to back up his talk.

This was not one of those times.

"No way! No way! I ain't going ANYWHERE with that traitor!"

"You have few other options and I am telling you now that Kurama is the best one!" Tsuande pointed out to him.

"Who the fuck are you to decide what option is best for me?! Can't _**I**_only decide what's best for me?" It's sad because Naruto knew that was one of the stupidest things he could ask. He knew it. But at the same time he did in a way, honestly believe he can decide what is _worst_ for him. Going to live with his ex would just be a baaaaad idea. Logic or even thinking about the future wasn't a skill Naruto has been working on these past few years. He couldn't see staying with his ex being a good option for him presently, so he couldn't see it being a good idea in a long run.

They were both traitors so to speak. Naruto has had time(a LOT of time) to guiltily acknowledge his role in being dumped and he hated the horrid feelings he got doing so. The benefit of the drugs was that they pushed those thoughts, memories, and feelings out of his mind. If he was going to be forced to face Kurama upfront, then he doubted all the heroin in the world could make him feel better. Living with Kurama would just cause misery. And they had been through enough of that together.

"Tell him he's a STUPID ass motherfucker if he agreed to this!"

"No need. I heard you."

Naruto and his doctors turned to see Kurama standing in the doorway looking bored.

"I agree with you somewhat. Maybe I am stupid for doing this."

"Didn't I tell you to wait?"

"I got impatient. Anyways Naruto as stupid as you think I am, I AM giving you chance here. My house is more than big enough to fit the both of us and I can keep you well fed and warm. The only real problem I see is us being civil to each other. But I think that's possible too. I can avoid stepping on your toes even if you can't avoid stepping on mine."

"So what do you say Naruto? A roof over your head, food, a chance for a better life?" The nurse asked. She had a bright smile on her face too as if that would make a difference. Naruto hardly acknowledged what she said.

The blond instead stared at Kurama for several minutes without saying a word. He couldn't believe this guy was dumb enough to include him in his life again. Well. Naruto wouldn't be that dumb.

He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, turned away, and let out a firm sounding, "NO!"

* * *

><p>Finished finally haha.<p>

It feels weird to end there, but it also feels right so that's where I'm ending. Next chapter you'll learn how they convince Naruto to go with Kurama and we will finally get away from the clinic. Sorry for all the breaks here. THis chapter jumped a lot haha.

Sooo I guess you should know that I am doing my homework for this story. Researching this is actually fun in that I'm learning a lot of interesting stuff. I just definitely don't want to fail on a subject like this lol.

Also a little note: If Kurama comes off as boring to you in the beginning or w/e then that's good. I'm aiming to make his character a little different in this story so it won't read the same as Cheater Cheater(another modern Kurama helps Naruto out story lol). It occured to me while writing this chapter and I even wanted to go back and change his job to add a little more variety haha. But I figured it would be better to just work on making the characters unique so...yeah there's a heads up. You probably also notice that in this story he has a little 'issue' of his own.

So DCLT is going to be updated next because that is the closest to being done(but please give me a few days as finals time is among among me). October 10th will be updated after that since I know exactly what I want to do there(just need to flesh out, connect, and edit scenes). As for the rest? Ehhh they'll come later :P. Keep an eye on my profile.

That's all.

Hope you enjoyed!


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